Restrained Radicals
Populist Radical Right Parties in Local Government

A path-breaking study of populist radical right parties in Western Europe and their impact in power in local government.

Fred Paxton (Author)

9781009379083, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 10 August 2023

298 pages, 29 b/w illus. 29 tables
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.1 cm, 0.57 kg

'Grounded in both specific and general party politics literature, and built upon a clever research design, Fred Paxton masterfully integrates the local level into the nationally dominated literature and raises major new opportunities and questions for future research. Truly groundbreaking!' Cas Mudde, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia

The entry of populist radical right parties into positions of power has generated anxious debate regarding the potential consequences for liberal democracy. Their activities in local government, however, have been largely overlooked. This comparative analysis of populist radical right-led local governments in Western Europe makes an important contribution to a crowded field through the study of so far uncharted terrain. Comparing cases in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland, Fred Paxton details the extent of ideological impact in local politics and the various restraints that are placed on their radicalism. Drawing from a wealth of new data, he explains the varying degree of radicalism with recourse to two principal factors: the constraints of the local government institutional setting and the national party leaders' strategies towards the local arena. This book broadens our understanding of populist radical right parties in Western Europe and the sub-national processes through which they are developing.

1. Introduction
2. Going local: understanding the impact of the populist radical right in local government
3. The entry of populist radical right parties into local power
4. Do they make a difference? The policy impact of populist radical right parties in local power
5. Mainstreaming: the impact of local power on the discourse of populist radical right parties
6. Laboratories or showcases? Explaining the varied forms of local government under populist radical right mayors
7. Conclusion
References
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB]